Once the Honeymoon is Over
by Lystelle
Summary: The honeymoon is over for Josh and Donna, they've got a baby on the way and friends who need their help, but even they will not be able to stop what's meant to be. Sequel to We Have a Problem.
1. The Women, The Babies, and The Hormones

**Disclaimer:** I in no way own any thing West Wing or otherwise.

**Author's Notes:** _Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed my other story. This is a sequel to "We Have a Problem," it came to me one night. I hope you enjoy, I love hearing what you think so please reivew!!_

* * *

"Joshua Lyman!"  
"This can't be good," he muttered to himself as he headed up the stairs to the bedroom. As he pushed opened the door he saw Donnatella Lyman sitting slumped in a chair. "What did I do?"  
"Nothing, I can't get up, and it's all your fault!"  
His gaze dropped down to her protruding belly. "Not all my fault. It takes two."  
"Says who?"  
"My health teacher, Mr. Rupt!" he replied.  
Donna just glared at him. "Would you help me up, I'm going to be late?"  
"Late for what?"  
"I have a doctor's appointment, Joshua!"  
Josh helped her out of the chair and into his arms. "How come I'm not coming, I always come."  
Donna just rolled her eyes. "Because, dear, you have staff in a half in hour and then you have meetings on the Hill today all day because of the vote next week. You don't have time to go to a routine check up. I'm not due for another couple of weeks."  
"Are you driving?"  
"Like I could get behind a steering wheel with a stomach like this," she scoffed. "Mallory is picking me up. She has an appointment for Lily anyway."  
"Lily?" Josh's eyebrows furrowed.  
"Yes, Lily, Sam and Mallory's baby girl."  
"Oh, right."  
Donna let out a long sigh as she slipped on her sandals.  
They walked down the stairs and into the living room. "Are you sure you don't want me to come with? I'm not sure how I feel about missing an appointment," Josh said as he leaned in and kissed Donna on the base of her neck, her favorite place.  
"I'll be fine. It's important that you win that vote and get it out of the way before I go into labor because let me tell you national emergency or not, you're going to be in the delivery room taking full responsibility for what you have done to me."  
Josh smiled. "Then I should go."  
"Go!" Donna urged. "Don't forget that tonight Danny and C.J. are supposed to be coming over dinner and that means that you're supposed to bring something home with you because I'm not cooking."  
Josh kissed his wife and headed out of the door. He climbed into this car and drove to work.

* * *

"How are you feeling?" asked Mallory.  
"I look like a hippo, how do you think I'm feeling?" Donna muttered.  
"You do not look a like a hippo. Believe me I understand how you feel. Once the baby is born, you'll feel much better about everything."  
Donna huffed, "This is all Josh's fault."  
Mallory laughed. "Sam and Josh will have a lot to talk about. Both of their women love blaming them for pregnancy sucking."  
"I told Josh I wanted to wait until he got out of office. We've been married for nine months, and I'm almost nine months pregnant, which means we didn't wait until he was out of office!"  
"Donna, what's going on?"  
"Mal, I don't think I can do this." Donna wiped the tears from her cheeks.  
"Do what?"  
"Be a mother. I don't think I can be a mother and a wife and me," she wept.  
"What are you talking about, Donna? You're going to be a wonderful mother and you're already a wonderful wife. Josh has never been this happy in his entire life. I've never seen the man rush home from work like he does now and he enjoys his friends and he can't stop talking about you or the baby."  
Donna sobbed, "I know. He's wonderful. I'm the one who isn't wonderful. This kid is going to love its father and it's going to take one look at me and hate me for the rest of its life."  
"Don't be ridiculous, this kid is going to be crazy about you. Donna, you're one of the most wonderful, kind, and sensitive people I have ever met. You're going to know what the kid needs before it does, just like you know what Josh needs before he does. It's your way."  
Donna looked over at her friend. "Thank you," she cried.  
Mallory smiled and handed her a tissue. "Hormones are hell aren't they?"  
Donna nodded and then she looked back over her shoulder at the sleeping baby in the backseat. "She just keeps getting more and more beautiful every time I see her."  
"She's my little princess. Sam is so cute with her. He reads to her every night and he's already decided that she's going to be President when she is of age."  
"So he doesn't have any big plans for her then?"  
The women laughed together.  
"Josh already bought a toy donkey. It doesn't matter if it is a boy or a girl as long as it's a Democrat."

* * *

"Hey, Josh, how's Donna doing?" C.J. stood in the doorway of his office.  
Josh looked up from the pile of papers on his desk that he was pulling together for his meetings on the Hill. "She's good! Mike!"  
His assistant came into the doorway behind C.J. "Yeah?"  
"I need the thing from the other night."  
"Yeah." Mike disappeared and reappeared in moments. He came in through the other doorway to avoid running into C.J. and laid the file on his desk.  
"She's due soon isn't she?" C.J. asked.  
"Two weeks and a couple of days," Josh mumbled as he scanned the file.  
"You're on the Hill today?"  
"That's right."  
"Are we still coming over to dinner tonight?"  
Josh looked at C.J. "Yeah," he replied. "What's wrong?"  
"What do you mean what's wrong?"  
"I don't know, something isn't right with you. You seem different."  
C.J.'s gaze fell on her shoes. "It's nothing." She turned around to walk out.  
"Claudia Jean, what's going on?"  
She turned back around and stepped into his office and closed the door. She didn't move from the middle of her office. Josh stepped around his desk and stood in front of her. "C.J.?"  
"I think something is wrong with me," she sobbed suddenly.  
"What are you talking about?" Josh's hands instinctively went to her arms to comfort her.  
"We try and we try and we try and nothing. You and Donna are married for a day and you have no troubles."  
Josh cocked an eyebrow. "Still confused, C.J."  
"I don't think I can have kids."  
The realization of what was going on hit him hard. "Oh," was all he could manage to say for the first thirty seconds. "Have you talked to the doctor about this?"  
"Of course. We're getting the test results later today. I just know that there is something wrong and it is wrong with me."  
Josh pulled the Press Secretary into a warm embrace. "C.J., I promise that if God was nice enough to let me and Sam reproduce there will be a way for you and Danny to have children."  
"But what if we can't," she cried.  
"C.J., I promise you there will be a way."  
She squeezed him a little harder and then released him all together. "You're a sweet man."  
"That's what it says in my bio."  
She swatted him playfully. "I'm sorry to just fall apart in your arms like this."  
"Oh, please, don't worry about it. What are friends for?"  
"I got mascara on your shirt," she said rubbing at the black smudges on his shirt.  
"Don't worry about it, they gave me this great jacket when I bought the suit, no one will no the difference and Donna can spend an hour scrubbing the stain out, because lately that's all it seems she wants to do is clean."  
C.J. smiled, "She's nesting, Josh, and you should be nice to her. She's got like an eight pound baby just walking around inside of her."  
"Can I tell you, she's been acting less than thrilled with the baby stuff lately?"  
It was C.J.'s turn to look concerned. "What are you talking about?"  
"I'm not sure, she's just been very crabby lately and not at all excited about the baby."  
"She's sounded excited when I've talk to her about it."  
Josh shrugged, "Maybe it's just me then."  
"I wouldn't worry about it. It's got to be hard being that pregnant."  
Josh nodded. He looked at his watch. "I should get going."  
"Yeah. Hey, thanks for the pep talk," C.J. said.  
"Any time."

* * *

"Josh Lyman's office," Mike stated into the phone.  
"Is Josh in?"  
"No, he's in meetings at the Hill all day today," Mike replied. "Can I take a message?"  
"No, I need you to page him. This is Mallory Seaborn. I need you to page him or call him on his cell phone and tell him that Donna was just admitted to George W. Hospital, she's gone into labor!" She ordered.  
Mike wrote down the information and replied, "I'll call him right now."  
Mike dialed his boss's cell phone number.  
"Hi, you've reached Josh Lyman..." Voicemail.  
Mike hung up the phone and paged him immediately after that. A few moments later the phone rang. Mike picked it up. "Josh Lymans's office."  
"Mike, it's Josh, what's going on?"  
"Donna has been admitted to the hospital, George W."  
There was a long silence.  
"Josh?"  
"Yeah!"  
"Did you hear me?"  
"Yeah!"  
"Do you want me to call you a cab?"  
There was another silence.  
Mike opened his mouth to say something but then Josh responded. "Mike, I need you to call Leo and tell him what's going on and then I need you to clear my schedule for the next couple of days. I need you to farm out the important stuff. I also need you to call Toby and C.J."  
"Josh, get going, I know what to do!" Mike hung up the phone and called Leo's office. "Hi, Margaret, is Leo available?"

* * *

Josh felt his entire body zinging with emotion and excitement. Donna was at the hospital which meant that she went into labor. He ran through the halls and he spotted Mallory. He jogged up to her.  
"Where is she?"  
"Josh?"  
"Do I get those comfortable pajama outfit things so I can go into the delivery room with her?"  
"Josh?"  
The smile slowly faded off of his face when he saw the concern and sorrow behind Mallory's eyes.  
"What happened?" 


	2. My Family

"What happened, Mallory?" Josh looked like he was going to be sick.  
"I don't know, they wouldn't tell me anything! All I know is that she was still in her appointment when I came to her doctor's office after Lily's appointment and then the nurse came out and told me that they were sending Donna to the hospital for immediate delivery but that's all the information they'd give me. Then I called you. Did the doctor call you?"  
"Yeah, they just told me that there are complications and I need to get down to the hospital right away. So, here I am." He turned around and headed directly for the nurses station. "Excuse me, I need to speak to someone who can tell me what's going on with my wife, Donnatella Lyman."  
The black woman behind the counter nodded and looked through her files. "I'll be right back." She headed behind swinging doors.  
Josh started pacing in front of the station. Mallory was leaning against the wall near by. He looked at her for a moment. "Where's Lily?"  
"I had my mother come pick her up, I wanted to be here at least until you got here."  
"If you need to leave..."  
Mallory interrupted, "I'm not going any where, Josh."  
He was grateful but his mind wouldn't stop reeling. He needed to talk to someone about his wife other wise he was going to get violent. As if on cue a doctor came through the swinging doors.  
"Mr. Lyman,"  
"Dr. Hathaway." Josh recognized Donna's doctor immediately.  
"What's wrong with Donna?"  
"She's suffering from Placental Abruption. It's a condition where the placenta has torn away from the walls of the uterus. It appears to be a severe separation. Your wife said that she's been experiencing some tenderness and some bleeding and then when she came into my office she doubled over in pain and was having constant contractions. It's very important that we deliver the baby now and get your wife a transfusion. I'm afraid she's lost a lot of blood."  
Josh felt Mallory's hands on his back for support. "Is she going to be okay?" Josh choked.  
"We're going to do our best. I won't lie to you, this is a very dangerous time for the mother and the baby. I've got to get back in there. It will likely be a couple of hours. I would suggest sitting down and trying to relax because at the moment there is nothing you can do."  
Josh felt his world slipping from his finger tips. There was nothing he could do.  
Nothing.

* * *

"Mr. President, I thought you should know that Donna Lyman went into labor today," Leo said to his boss.  
"Labor? Isn't she early?"  
"Yes, sir. There are complications."  
"What's wrong?"  
Leo shifted uncomfortably in front of the President's desk. "Placental Abruption..."  
"Is it severe?" The President asked as he stood up.  
"It appears that way. They're going to perform a C-section and give Donna a transfusion."  
"Abbey had one with Zoey, about scared the life out of me. Josh must be going out of his mind."  
"He sounded pretty put together."  
"This is Donna we're talking about, you and I both know that he was putting on a front. It's what Josh does. If we weren't in the middle of the thing I would be down there sitting with him," Josiah Bartlett said sorrowfully.  
"Me too, sir," Leo agreed. "Mal is with him and I think Sam is going to go down there soon. He's not alone. He asked me to call his mother and her parents. Margaret is planning on going down there for her lunch break. That should distract him plenty."  
"Keep me posted will you?"  
"Of course, sir."

* * *

"Josh!" Sam came barreling into the waiting room with a panicked expression. "I got here as soon as I could!" He embraced his friend. Josh was grateful for a friendly face. Mallory had been nice, but they weren't close like Sam and Josh were. "How is she?"  
"We don't know. The doctor hasn't come back out. But it's only been an hour." Josh was frustrated and angry.  
"She's pulled through worse, Josh, I'm sure she's going to be fine. You know you Lymans, you can never do anything the easy way. It's always got to be the hard and painful way." Sam was serious but trying to lighten the mood. The ghost smile on Josh's face Sam knew that he felt better just because he was there with him.  
Josh nodded and turned around to sit back down in his chair. He wouldn't be in it long, but he didn't feel like pacing at that particular moment. Sam sat down across from him.  
"Where's Mal?" Sam asked.  
"I think she said something about coffee. It's funny I can never get anyone to bring me coffee unless I'm sitting in a hospital room," Josh replied raking his hands through his hair.  
"Your wife likes to make sure that you get your own coffee." Sam smirked.  
"Apparently. I can't believe she got Mike to agree not to bring me my coffee."  
"Mike seems to be working out well, coffee aside."  
"He's no Donna, but he's the next best thing," Josh agreed.  
Sam let out a long sigh. "No one is Donna, but you knew that and that's why you finally married her."  
"Samuel!" Mallory approached handing Josh a cup of piping hot coffee.  
"Mallory." He pulled his wife into a hug and then they both sat down in front of Josh.  
"You guys have a family, if you need to go..."  
"Josh, you're part of the family," Mallory replied.  
"And so is Donna," Sam finished.  
Josh nodded and stood up. He started pacing again. His gaze fell upon the swinging doors that lead to Donna. His mind began to wander. 

**Seven in a half months ago...**  
  
"Josh, I need you to stop moving and by that I mean stand still," Donna ordered standing in front of him while she was tying his bow tie.  
"Donna, this is our first Presidential ball as husband and wife. I finally get to take you out on the dance floor and spin you around and hold you tight while everyone including the press corp get an eye full," Josh said bouncing back and fourth.  
"That's fine, but if you keep moving I'm going to strangle you with this tie and then you're not going to be able to do anything at the party," Donna growled.  
Josh just smiled and pressed his lips to hers. Donna allowed him to deepen the kiss and melted into his embrace. She felt his hands on her bare back and her whole body heated.  
Donna pushed Josh backwards, "Hey, stop that! We've been back from the honeymoon for two days, we have to learn to keep our hands off each other. You keep doing that and we're not going to be able to go to any party especially if you ruin my hair."  
"You take all the fun out of being newly weds."  
Donna just rolled her eyes. "You have to hold still if you want me to tie your tie otherwise I'm getting out the pre-tied tie."  
Josh let out a sigh and stood in front of his wife trying to stand as still as he possibly he could. "Josh, there is something important to tell you."  
Josh looked at her for a long moment. "I don't like it when you bring up serious things while tying me tie."  
"It's nothing bad, well I don't think it's bad. I think it could be good, great in fact!"  
Josh smiled a little, "As much as I love to watch you babble you're making me nervous."  
"I'm pregnant," Donna spit out.  
"Wow! That's not what I was expecting." Josh sat down abruptly on the bed. "We've been married for like an hour and you're pregnant?" Josh's eyes were wide.  
"Yes, it appears that way. We've been married for almost two months, which big surprise is about how far a long I am," Donna replied.  
Josh held out his arm for her. She sat down on his lap, her gown snaking up her thighs. "Are you okay? Is everything okay?" he asked.  
"Yeah, I saw the doctor yesterday. I got the results today and I have a check up in a week."  
"So what you're saying is that in seven months I'm going to be a father and you're going to be a mother and I still have two in a half years left in office," Josh stated.  
"That's right!"  
Donna watched as Josh's face went from surprise to complete and utter happiness. He kissed her thoroughly and then pulled Donna up with him. "Okay, tie this tie, let's go to the party."  
"You can't tell anyone, Josh. It's bad luck until after the first trimester. That's when most things go wrong."  
"I can't tell anyone?"  
"No, Joshua, I mean it. Not even Sam. You can tell them in a month if I'm still pregnant."  
Josh sighed, "Fine!"  
"I mean it, Joshua, not a soul!"  
"I have kept secrets a secret and you don't think I can keep this a secret?"  
"I really don't," Donna smirked. "Now stand still otherwise we're never going to make it to the party."  
Josh managed to stay still long enough for her to tie the tie. Josh went to the mirror and checked her work. "You're so much better at that than I am," he said tweaking the tie.  
"That's because I know how to tie and tie and you don't."  
"Fair point." Josh grabbed Donna by the wrist and pulled her to him. He lowered his mouth over hers before she could say anything. He loved kissing her, he could never get enough of it. "I'm going to be a father?"  
"Yes."  
"You're going to be a mother?"  
"Yes."  
"And I can't tell anyone?"  
"No."  
"This is going to be harder than keeping state secrets."  
Donna laughed, "I know but don't you think you should try...for me?"  
"I will try very hard."  
"I'll love you either way." Donna kissed him briefly on the mouth. "I need to go freshen up my lipstick and then we need to go, otherwise we're going to be late."  
Josh watched his wife leave the bedroom. He felt his entire body humming with excitement. He was going to be a father and nothing could excite him more.  
That night he didn't tell a soul, but he had a smile plastered across his face the entire night and he couldn't seem to keep his hands off of Donna especially her stomach.

* * *

Josh was pulled from his thoughts when he saw the First Lady and Toby enter the waiting room. He stood there and watched as they approached.  
"Josh, honey how are you?"  
"Dr. Bartlett?" Josh couldn't form the words.  
"My husband told me what was going on. I wanted to come see you. The same thing happened to me with Zoey."  
Josh suddenly felt a little reassured. Zoey and Dr. Bartlett were fine and two of the strongest women he knew. He let Abbey hug him. She started checking his vital signs as well.  
"When was the last time you ate?"  
Josh just gave her a blank look.  
"Okay, we should all go have something to eat down in the cafeteria." Abbey went and greeted Sam and Mallory.  
Toby took a step in front of Josh. "This will be the scariest time in your life. Right here waiting to hear from the doctor's mouth that the baby and the mother are okay. I wish I could bring you words of comfort but I felt like my entire world stopped, holding it's breath until everything was okay again, and Andi had a pretty easy birth." He clapped his hand onto his friend's back. "Donna's a strong girl and you know that baby is going to be as stubborn as the both of you are, so have hope."  
Josh was grateful to Toby for being frank with him about what was happening in his life. He saw Abbey tell the nurse that they were going the cafeteria and if anything changed they should be paged down there immediately. The nurse nodded.  
"Come on, Joshua," Abbey said escorting him down the hall to the elevator.  
  
**Six in a half months earlier...  
**  
"Does anyone have anything else?" President Bartlett asked.  
Everyone glanced at everyone. "No, sir," Leo replied.  
"Mr. President? Leo? I have a small announcement. Donna gave me the go ahead. I just wanted to tell you since everyone is here, Donna is pregnant."  
C.J. gasped, Sam and Toby smiled, Leo shook his head and the President came around his desk and approached Josh.  
"You guys have been married for like three months. How far along is she?" President Bartlett asked.  
"Three months, sir. I wasn't allowed to say anything until she was three months along."  
"It's bad luck," Toby stated.  
Josh glanced over at him and then back at the President.  
"Congratulations, son." The President hugged Josh.  
"Thank you, sir."  
"How long have you known?" Sam asked.  
"A month," he replied.  
"And you kept it a secret?" Leo asked.  
"I can keep a secret."  
C.J. snorted.  
Josh glared at her. "Anyway, I just thought you should know."  
The room filled with "congratulations" as the Senior Staff dissipated. Josh headed to his office and closed the door. He was reading his file intently.  
"Is that interesting?" Donna's voice filled the room.  
Josh looked up from the folder and saw his wife in his chair with her long legs stretched out on top of the desk. "Am I dreaming?"  
Donna smiled. "No, I came to visit, Mike said you were in Senior Staff no doubt telling everyone about our news and so I just thought I would make myself comfortable."  
"Everyone says 'congratulations' and so on and so fourth."  
"You told Mike first?"  
"He is my assistant," Josh replied.  
"Yeah, he treated me like I was nine months pregnant with an ailing disease," Donna said.  
"How do you mean?"  
"He asked me if I needed anything to drink or eat. He pulled out the chair and helped me into it as if I were going to break any minute."  
Josh chuckled, "He's overprotective of you."  
"He's a sweet guy."  
Donna stood up and approached her husband. "What's wrong?"  
"How do you mean?"  
"I don't know, something seems a little off with you."  
"I'm fine."  
"Joshua," Donna called.  
"What? I'm fine."  
"How long have you known me?"  
"Seems like forever...in a good way," he said smiling big.  
"How often have you been able to keep something from me?"  
"Let me see, including today, never," he sighed.  
"What's wrong?"  
"It just occurred to me that I don't know how to be a father. I'm nearly forty-two and all I know is my job and you of course, but that's not the same as being a father."  
Donna chortled wrapping her arms around his waist and tugging him to her. "You're going to be a wonderful father and right now you're in the process of making the world a better place for our child. This kid is going to be one of the luckiest kids in the world. Probably the next President of the United States if you have you're way."  
Josh knelt down in front of Donna pressing his forehead against her navel. "You hear that, the President of the United States? I promise you, you can be anything you want to be," Josh said to her stomach. "But President of the United States isn't a bad gig."  
Donna laughed. Josh looked up at her and smiled. "My family," he murmured.

* * *

Josh stirred his mash potatoes as the group of people surrounding him chatted about absolutely nothing. Just then there was a announcement over the loud speaker.  
"Josh Lyman please come to the first floor nurses' station."  
"My family." He sprang up from his chair and ran to the staircase. 


	3. Parents

Josh reached the nurses' station breathlessly. "I'm Josh Lyman, I was paged," he gasped.  
The nurse nodded and pointed, "Dr. Hathaway is the one who had you paged."  
Josh turned around to see Donna's doctor. He quickly approached. He heard Abbey, Toby, Sam and Mallory approach from behind. He kept his attention focused on Dr. Hathaway.  
"Doc, what's going on?" Josh asked.  
"Josh, take a deep breath for me. I don't want to have to admit you too."  
"I'm fine, what's going on?"  
"Right now both the baby and Donna are stable but they're not out of the woods. Donna lost a lot of blood and the labor was highly stressed for the baby."  
"What does this mean?" he asked hysterically.  
"Josh," Abbey's soothed. "Let the doctor speak."  
"Donna is in intensive care right now. I have high hopes that she's going to be just fine, but there are couple of things we have to wait for before I'll feel comfortable putting her into full recovery. Now the baby, she's fine for right now. She's on oxygen, obviously she was very premature, but her vitals are holding strong."  
"She's a girl?" Josh asked quietly.  
"Oh, I'm sorry, forgive me, I forgot that you and your wife didn't know, not many parents do that anymore. Yes, a baby girl, 3 pounds 6 ounces. She's big for how premature she was, which means that she was going to be a big baby. That's good. Josh, I'm very hopeful for your family. Now you can see the baby girl and I'll let you see Donna in an hour or so."  
Josh nodded.  
Dr. Hathaway looked behind Josh. "I don't want a crowd but you can take someone with you if you need to. The nurse will take you when you're ready, I'm going to go check on Donna."  
Josh turned around to face his friends. "Dr. Bartlett, would you please come and see my baby girl with me?"  
Abbey nodded and wrapped her arms around Josh as they followed the nurse behind the swinging doors. Josh stepped timidly into the room. His baby girl was in the corner of the room in a large incubator. Josh felt his chest tighten and his breath caught in his throat.  
He looked down at the small bundle of pink sleeping soundly in the incubator. "My baby girl," Josh whispered.

* * *

"Have you heard from Josh?" Danny asked as he leaned in C.J.'s office door.  
"No, but Sam called a little bit ago and said that Josh went in to see the baby and that they'll get to see Donna in about an hour. There is hope that both of them are going to be okay."  
"Hey, that's good news," Danny replied.  
"It is, but there is not such good news for us," C.J. said standing up and leaning against her desk.  
"You got the test results back?"  
"That's right."  
"What's going on?"  
"It turns out that there is something wrong with me, that's why we're having so much trouble getting pregnant. I have an appointment to see the doctor next week to talk about what our options are. She said that it's not completely hopeless."  
Danny nodded stiffly. "I'm sorry, babe. But it sounds like we have some options."  
C.J. stared down at the ground looking forlorn. "I just really wanted to start a family with you."  
Danny wrapped his arms around her, holding her why she sobbed. "Claudia, everything is going to be just fine. We'll have a family one way or another. I promise you."  
"C.J.?" Carol knocked on the door.  
"Yeah, Carol," C.J. called pulling away from Danny wiping her eyes.  
"Leo's office called, he needs to see you right away."  
C.J. nodded, "Tell them on my way." She turned back to Danny. "I'm sorry, we'll talk about this tonight, since we're not going over to Josh and Donna's for dinner tonight."  
"You got it."  
She gave him a quick kiss and headed out of the office.

* * *

"Hi, Charlie." Zoey stood in front of Charlie's desk with a big smile.  
"Hey, Zoey, we haven't seen you for a long time. How have things been?"  
"Things are better. How are things with you?"  
"Good, things are good."  
Zoey smiled.  
"Let me see if your father is available."  
"No, Charlie, actually I came here to see you. I had breakfast with my father earlier."  
"You're here to see me?"  
"That's right."  
"What can I do for?"  
"Have dinner with me? I okayed it with my father earlier. Do you want to have dinner with me?"  
Charlie smirked, "Do I want to have dinner with you? Sure, I'll have dinner with you. When?"  
"How about dinnertime?"  
"Yeah."  
"I'll pick you up in a couple of hours."  
Charlie watched as Zoey strutted down the hall. He smiled and shook his head. "Okay."

* * *

"She's beautiful, Josh," commented Abigail Bartlett.  
"Thanks for coming back here with me, Dr. Bartlett."  
"Oh, Josh, call me Abbey."  
"It just means a lot for you to be here right now. I know this sounds silly but I wanted someone who was more..."  
Abbey smiled, "Mother like?"  
"Yeah."  
"I understand."  
"Did you and Donna have names picked out?"  
"You know Donna, we decided that we would name the baby once we met him or her. We figured naming her before we met her would be a mistake. We were going to decide together."  
"You guys are really made for each other you know that?" Abbey chuckled.  
"Why Donna and why this baby? This baby girl hasn't done anything to this world and here she lies fighting for her life. My wife has to be one of the most caring individuals I've ever met and she's sitting in a room down the hall fighting for her life. I do not understand why things work the way they do."  
"No one does, Josh, I totally understand how you feel. My husband is a good man, he is loyal to his faith and good to his wife and kids and he serves his country as faithfully as he can and he has MS and he gets shot not to mention his youngest daughter was kidnapped. Things are just the way they are. It isn't some personal vendetta against you or Jed, it's just the way it is."  
Josh looked back down at his baby girl. "She's beautiful."  
"She's a Lyman I can tell, she's going to be just fine." Abbey rubbed his back. "I'm going to give you a few minutes alone. I'll be right outside."  
Josh waited until the First Lady had left the room. He turned back to his daughter. "Hi, there. You may not remember me, but I'm your father. We've had a few chats. Well mostly I did the chatting. Your mom is in the other room. She'll be along eventually. She's recovering too. But I know she loves you very much, just like I do, and it's very important that you stay strong. There's a big world out there for you to discover. I know we've talked about President of the United States, but you can be a scientist, a vet, a carpenter, a senator...even congresswoman if you really want but the point is you have to stay with us." Josh wiped the tears that streamed down his face. "Your Mom isn't even here to help me name you, so you have to stay with us. I can't lose you too," he sobbed.

* * *

"Hey, Charlie. C.J." Sam greeted them as they entered the waiting room.  
"Hi," C.J. kissed Mallory and Sam on the cheek. "Where's Josh?"  
"He's in with the baby," Mallory replied.  
"Is the baby and Donna okay? We're a little behind on news," asked Charlie.  
"They're both stabilized right now but it is still hairy. The doctor said that Josh can see Donna in a little bit, but right now he's in seeing the baby. It's a baby girl, just a little over three pounds," Mallory stated.  
C.J. covered her mouth, "That's so small."  
Sam wrapped his arm around C.J.'s shoulder. Toby stood up when Josh came around the corner into the waiting room.  
Josh looked around at all of them and managed a weak smile. "She's beautiful." He took a deep breath, "When did you guys get here?" Josh asked as C.J. hugged him.  
"Just a few minutes ago," Charlie replied.  
"Where's Mrs. Bartlett?"  
"I went to get coffee for everyone, but it turns out there are more people here than when I left," she said from behind everyone.  
"Josh?"  
He turned around and saw Dr. Hathaway standing in the doorway of the waiting room.  
"Dr. Hathaway?"  
"I'll let you see Donna now if you would like."  
Josh didn't hesitate. He set his cup of coffee down and followed the doctor. Once inside he had a flash of déjà vu. He approached Donna's side feeling sick to his stomach. She looked pale and so small. Even in Germany she hadn't looked this small. Josh pulled up and chair and sat by her side.  
"She comes and goes out of consciousness, she's still having trouble clotting, but for right now she's doing fine," Dr. Hathaway stated as she slowly backed out of the room.  
Donna's eyes fluttered open and she smiled weakly at Josh. "My man has come back to me," she whispered.  
"I was always here. Next time I ask you if you need me to come to the doctor's appointment with you, you say 'yes' you hear me?"  
Donna smiled. "You think you could've prevented this had you been there?"  
"No, but I have to be angry at something, and I have to feel like had the situation been different my wife and child would not have been put in danger," he growled.  
"Have you seen her?"  
"She's beautiful. She looks just like me," Josh smirked.  
"Let's just hope that she's as stubborn as you are," Donna murmured.  
"Me, you're the stubborn one." Josh lightly stroked his wife's pale blonde hair out of her face. "You're beautiful, you know that?"  
"I do in fact know that."  
"What about me, aren't I beautiful?" he asked sarcastically.  
"Not so much, no." Donna kissed his hand. "We really have to stop meeting this way. And no way is our kid going to follow in our footsteps with the love of being in the hospital. I don't think your blood pressure nor mine could take it at this point."  
Josh nodded his head, "Unfortunately, if she's like either one of us we're not going to be able to tell her what to do."  
"I don't know how but somehow I'm going to find a way to blame this on Republicans."  
Donna chuckled lightly. "I'm sorry if we scared you," she whispered.  
"If you didn't keep me on my toes, then who would?"

* * *

Darkness fell over Washington D.C. and Josh was left alone in the hospital room with his wife. He had been in to check on their baby many times. Donna was getting more color and was finally able to eat something substantial. She had finally drifted back off to sleep. Josh decided to take a walk around. He was feeling antsy.  
He called Leo's office once he breeched to the outside. He wasn't surprised when Leo answered.  
"Hi, boss!"  
"Josh, my boy, how is Donna and the baby?"  
"They're doing okay."  
"Good, good. What are you doing calling me so late?"  
"I just wanted to make sure everything was going okay," Josh replied as he paced in front of the building.  
"Everything is fine, as hard as it might be to believe we can survive a few days with out you, son."  
"I know."  
"What's troubling you?"  
"Leo, I'm a father and already I can't protect her," Josh let out a painful sob.  
"Josh, believe it or not there are few things in this world that you can protect her from. All you can do is raise her and hope that she makes the right decisions. What happened to Donna and her, there was nothing you could've done to prevent that. And you won't be able to prevent what happens to her next. She's going to skin her knees, bang her head and get hurt by the people in her life. That's just how it works. Believe me, I know exactly how you feel right now," Leo replied.  
"I can't stand feeling like this, Leo. It sucks."  
"That's what happens when you love someone. Now you love two people more than you've ever loved anyone in your entire life...this is why some people can't make it work. It's too much."  
Josh stood still for a moment in silence.  
"Josh?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Go sit with your wife, you'll feel better," Leo instructed.  
"Thanks for listening," Josh replied.  
"You call me anytime, son."

* * *

Donna laid quietly in the silence. She wanted to cry but her body was exhausted. She wanted her baby in her arms and Josh by her side. She didn't think that was too much to ask, and yet here she was sitting in a hospital bed, once again, waiting for a miracle.  
She heard the door open and she saw Josh creep inside quietly. She didn't let him know that she was awake right away. She watched him sit down in his chair and lean his head back. He looked so tired. She wanted to yell at him because she knew that he wasn't eating right or getting any sleep.  
She hadn't seen him look this ragged since they had been on the first campaign or the second one for that matter. She hated that he had to suffer like this. Knowing that there was a good chance that if things had gone slightly to the left he could've lost his family...again.  
She couldn't help it anymore. They hadn't even been married a year and she still couldn't keep her hands off of him. She reached out her hand and laid it over his. He stirred a little. He opened his hand and held hers and then rolled his head back.  
Donna felt better having some small contact with him. She closed her eyes.  
Soon they were both drifting off into a dreamless sleep. 


	4. What's in a Name

**Author Notes:** _Sorry it has taken me so long to write. I have had a crazy busy life going on. This is short but I promise to write more soon. I hope you enjoy. Thanks again for reading and reviewing._

* * *

"We are under no circumstances naming our daughter Moira anything," Josh snarled as he gently rocked the bundle of joy in his arms.  
"We have to name her something, Joshua, she's nearly two weeks old," Donna replied sitting in the rocking chair in the nursery.  
"I told you what I thought." Josh sat down across from his wife.  
"No, Cecelia is out of the question. I knew a Cecelia, she was mean."  
"Well we have to come up with something or the Grandparents are going to put their two cents in or even worse, the President."  
"Uh, Josh..."  
"No, seriously, we don't want the President to have a say. I mean I love the man and his family but who would name their kid Zoey?"  
Donna stood up. "Hi, Mr. President."  
Josh froze. He then quickly stood up and turned around trying to be gentle and delicate at the same time. "Hi, Mr. President."  
"I'll have you know, Josh, that Zoey is a great name and you should be so lucky to find a strong name for your daughter," Jed Bartlett stood in the doorway of the nursery with gifts and flowers in his hands.  
"Yes, sir."  
"How are you doing, Donna?"  
"I'm well, sir."  
"You look beautiful; you have that new mother glow. Josh, have you been telling your wife that she's beautiful?"  
"Yes, sir, as often as possible," Josh responded as he helped unload the gifts from the Presidents arms.  
"Is that true, Donna?"  
Donna smirked. "He's good to me, sir."  
"Good. I ever hear different Lyman and you and I are going to have words."  
"Yes, sir."  
"Now let me see this daughter of yours," President Bartlett demanded as he held out his arms to Josh.  
He gladly put his daughter into the arms of the Leader of the Free World. "She's beautiful."  
Josh wrapped his arms around Donna. "So do you have any suggestions for names?"  
Bartlett looked up from the baby girl in his arms. "Don't try and suck up now. By the way I'm telling Abbey what you said about our youngest."  
Donna laughed out loud when Josh got his usual I'm-in-big-trouble look. It was one she had seen quite a few times. She had gotten used to that look since they were married. Josh had been so paranoid about being a good husband. He didn't want to end up like Toby and Andi or Leo and Jenny. He loved her and he wanted to do everything in his power to keep that strong and in his life. Donna had never felt so possessed, so loved in her entire life and she worked just as hard to make sure that it was going to work. Every once in a while though he would do something incredibly stupid, like Josh does and he would get that look.  
A few minutes later C.J. stepped into the nursery. "Excuse me, sir, we have five minutes," she said to the President and then she looked over at Josh and Donna. "Hi, guys!"  
"Well, Claudia Jean, how are you?" Josh asked. "We haven't seen you for a while."  
"I'm sorry, guys, things have been crazy. I promise I'll stop by soon. Five minutes, sir." And she was gone.  
"She's been acting weird," Donna muttered to Josh.  
"She won't stay in a room with us for longer that like a minute and even that seems too long for her," Josh replied.  
"I should get going, but thank you for letting me spend some time with this incredible little girl you have here." He handed her to Donna.  
"Any time, sir," she replied.  
"Thank you." He kissed Donna on the cheek. "Josh, walk me out will you?"  
"Yes, sir," he replied. He kissed Donna on the lips and followed his boss out the door. "What's up, sir?"  
"Is everything going all right between the two of you?"  
"Between Donna and I? Things are fine. Why do you ask?"  
"I don't know, you just seemed...something's different. I know stress of a new child and to have one with so many problems right now really adds up to a whole lot of stress and Donna is still on the mend. I just want the two of you to know that there is a lot going on and neither of you are to blame. Just make sure that you hold on to one another instead of pushing each other away."  
Josh stared at President Bartlett for a long moment. "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."  
"You take care of that baby girl, she's something special," the President ordered.  
"Yes, Mr. President, I will."

* * *

Donna laid her sleeping daughter back in the crib and then wandered over to the rocking chair. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Her thoughts were full of worries and concerns for what was going on with their family. Something was off between her and Josh. She couldn't place it. He was being great, he was constantly telling her that he loved her and that she was beautiful. He was always around, cutting out of work early and taking long lunches which was so unlike Josh that she didn't know what to think. She was grateful that he was around all the time, but something was still wrong but she couldn't figure out what it was.  
A few moments later Josh wandered back into the nursery. He peered down into the crib at the sleeping baby girl.  
"What about Ginger?"  
"Stole one of my boyfriends," Donna replied.  
"Okay, and that's a bad thing why?"  
"Joshua, we're not naming her Ginger, next suggestion?"  
"How about Zoey?"  
Josh turned around and saw the President's youngest daughter standing in the doorway. "Hey, kid!"  
Zoey hugged Josh and then Donna. "How are you guys?"  
"We're good!" replied Donna.  
"I would've been here sooner but I had finals," she stated wandering over to the crib and peering down. "She's beautiful you guys, I can't believe how tiny she is though!"  
"It's so good to see you." Donna had gone rather attached to Zoey since she had returned to their lives after her kidnapping.  
"Are you better? You look great, but..."  
"I'm fine. I go home with Josh now every night. I spend most of my time dawdling in the hospital though," Donna replied.  
"My Dad said that you're having trouble naming her and that you've decided against 'Zoey'," she said smirking.  
Josh suddenly looked sheepish.  
"Don't take it personally; Josh had just inserted his foot into his mouth because he was frustrated that we couldn't come up with a name."  
"So what are you going to name her?"  
"Well every time I mention a name Donna seems to have met one in her life. Apparently Cecelia was mean, Ginger stole her boyfriend, Kathryn had an attitude problem, and Rachel was on 'Friends' and what was wrong with Lily"?  
"Lily was the name of my horrible eighth grade rivalry," she responded. "At least I give you reasons you just shut me down. No Moira, Kelly, Melissa, or Jennifer."  
"Ex-girlfriends," Zoey said simply.  
"How do you know?"  
"Because I know Josh better than he thinks I do. I asked Sam."  
"Remind me that I need to kick Sam's ass."  
Donna chuckled. "Okay, so give me the name of a girl that you didn't date and it'll go a lot faster."  
"What about Zoey?" replied Zoey.  
Josh and Donna just glared at her.  
Zoey left a little while later. They sat together watching their baby sleep. "Okay, seriously she needs a name," Josh stated.  
"Okay, so let's agree on a name. We'll just say names until we can agree. Agreed?"  
"Yeah. You start."  
"Christine."  
"Rena."  
"Courtney."  
"Jessica."  
"Morgan."  
"Lena."  
"Lena?"  
"I panicked."  
"Okay, well try again," Donna smiled.  
"Amy."  
"That's your next try?"  
"No," Josh said sheepishly. "That was a slip of the tongue."  
"Okay, one more try and I'm going to go."  
"Lisa."  
"Hannah."  
"Regina."  
"Ruby."  
"Carla."  
"Joan."  
Josh stiffened. "How long have you been holding that one back?"  
"Since the beginning." Donna wondered now if she should've kept her mouth shut.  
"Why?"  
"Because I was afraid that you would be angry for suggesting it. Joanie isn't exactly the easiest topic with you and there's no reason that it should be I was just suggesting..." she was cut off by him planting a quick kiss on her lips.  
"You're too good to me you know that. There is no way in this world that I should've ended up with someone like you. You're just far too valuable for an idiot like me."  
Donna kissed him back. "We're good for each other, Joshua, even when you drive me nuts."  
"Okay let's do this the right way."  
"What way is that? We've been doing it the wrong way?"  
"No, I just mean. Let's give her a name that means something to both of us and something that will be strengthening to her," Josh said as he pulled his wife up to his side and headed over to the crib. "Let's call her Patricia Joan Lyman. We'll call her Patricia after your favorite grandmother and her middle name will be after my sister. Two strong women."  
Donna felt the tears sting her eyes as she looked down at her daughter. "Patricia Joan Lyman." Then she hit Josh over the head.  
"Hey!"  
"Why didn't you do that two weeks ago?"  
"I don't know, but for the sake of my head I wish I would've."  
Donna hugged Josh.  
"My Donnatella," Josh whispered pulling her body against his. "I love you."  
"And I you."  
They looked down at Patricia Joan hand in hand and smiled. Their family was complete.  
"Josh?"  
They turned around to find Sam standing in the doorway as white as a sheet.  
"Sam? What's wrong?"  
"Something's happened." 


End file.
